Bicycle Mechanics - Carbon Fibre Steerers and Starnuts

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sshock4
11-06-02, 03:27 PM
I have read that starnuts are not supposed to be used in carbon fibre steerer tubes. Why is this? A freind has a full carbon fibre Time fork and i told him it should be cool to leave the starnut in that came with the fork. Was this smat of me, or should he replace it with one of those expanding clamps profile design sells.

Thanks

RacerX
11-06-02, 03:50 PM
starnut will crush and destroy a carbon steerer tube. It is dangerous and can cause a unpredictable, catastrophic accident.
Use one designed for carbon tubes like the profile or FSA
pokey
11-06-02, 04:10 PM
Originally posted by sshock4
A freind has a full carbon fibre Time fork and i told him it should be cool to leave the starnut in that came with the fork.

Thanks If this is a new fork,maybe time knows what they are doing? If it's a used fork,I think someone else did not know what they were doing.Star nuts in a CF steerer are generally a no-no,but there may be some new exceptions out there.

sshock4
11-06-02, 06:22 PM
Yea it was a used fork so i dont think that the starnut was Time's idea. How would we go abou getting the nut out now because there is obviously no way to push it through. Any ideas?

Thanks
pokey
11-06-02, 08:00 PM
Originally posted by sshock4
Yea it was a used fork so i dont think that the starnut was Time's idea. How would we go abou getting the nut out now because there is obviously no way to push it through. Any ideas?

Thanks Why won't it go through and out the bottom,as that is the usual way?If you can get at it with some kind of tool you could possibly cut it.Getting too rough with it could trash the steerer.
sshock4
11-06-02, 08:12 PM
You cannot push it out through the bottom, there is no hole. I dont know why this is, but it may be because it is a monocooque cf fork. Dunno.

Thanks anyway
RacerX
11-07-02, 12:12 AM
pushing a star nut through the bottom (if there was one) would just ruin the entire inside of the steerer.
My guess is that it is not fixable. Ask your bike shop or try Time's or some other fork manufactuer's 1-800 for ideas.

pokey, why don't you just STFU. What carbon steerer fork has a hole in the bottom?